No. 820

Sliced and Buttered White or Rye Bread, Sliced and Rolled Bread

Tartines de Pain Blanc ou de Seigle Beurrees, Tartines Roulees

Cut thin slices from the crumb of a loaf of white or brown bread, cover one side with butter and put one on top of the other, the buttered sides together; pare them into oblong or three cornered pieces.

Sliced and Rolled Bread.—These are slices of bread cut very thin, buttered on one side, and rolled up; cover each roll with a sheet of waxed paper, and twist the ends so that the bread is well enclosed. Bread done up in this way will remain fresh quite awhile.

← No. 819 Shrimps in Side Dishes Cold Side Dishes No. 821 Marinated Smelts →

For the Modern Kitchen

Two of the simplest items in Ranhofer's cold side dishes: buttered bread trimmed into shapes, and buttered bread rolled and wrapped. The whole thing turns on the thinness of the slice and the softness of the butter.

"From the crumb"The crumb is the soft interior, as opposed to the crust. Ranhofer means you trim the crust away entirely and use only the tender centre of the loaf; the finished sandwiches are then pared into oblongs or triangles.
Brown bread here means ryeThe French title says pain de seigle, rye, where the English text says "brown bread". Follow the French and use a close-grained rye rather than a modern wholemeal sandwich loaf, which crumbles when sliced thin.
Butter temperature is the hingeButter must be soft enough to spread without tearing a slice cut thin, but not melted or it soaks in and the bread goes limp. Leave it at room temperature until it takes a spreading knife easily, and work it smooth before you start.
Slicing thinA day-old loaf slices far thinner than a fresh one, and a long serrated knife does the work. For the rolled version the slices need to be thin enough to bend without cracking along the fold; if they split, they are too thick or the bread is too dry.
RollingButter the slice edge to edge, including the corners, and roll while the bread is still supple. The recipe says nothing about chilling, but the rolls hold their shape better if left to firm up before serving, and can be cut into shorter lengths if you want them bite-sized.
Waxed paperWaxed paper is still sold and works exactly as described, though cling film or a sealed container in the refrigerator does the same job. Ranhofer does not say how long "fresh quite awhile" means.
Yield and servingServing -- The recipe gives no yield. These are meant for a tea table or as the bread accompaniment to cold dishes such as the shrimps and marinated smelts that sit on either side of this entry in the book, and are best made shortly before serving.

A Little History

Tartine is simply the French word for a slice of bread with something spread on it, and Charles Ranhofer, chef at Delmonico's, includes it in The Epicurean (1894): something plain and cool to eat beside oysters, shrimp, sardines and marinated fish. The rolled version belongs to the same late-Victorian moment as the crustless tea sandwich, when very thin slicing became a mark of skill.